Month: January 2018

Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. Isaiah 45:22, NKJV

Years ago, on a snowy winter Sunday morning in England, a young boy took his mother’s advice and went to a Primitive Methodist Chapel. Because of the weather, the minister hadn’t shown up. A “layman” from the little congregation took his place and expounded repeatedly on the above verse. Addressing the visitor he said: “Young man, look to Jesus Christ. Look! You have nothing to do but to look and live.” Charles Spurgeon looked and was saved. —E. MacLelland

Life is offered unto you, Hallelujah! Eternal life your soul shall have,If you only look to Him, Hallelujah! Look to Jesus who alone can save.—William A. Ogden

They fled unto Lystra and Derbe…and unto the region that lieth round about: and there they preached the gospel. Acts 14:6-7

The real mission field is just outside our front door. It isn’t always overseas or on the other side of the equator. We have neighbours, friends, colleagues, even family members, who need the Saviour and need Him now. I pray that I will find the courage today to speak to one of them; to humbly remind them that they need to be saved, that they can be saved, and how to obtain God’s salvation through repentance and faith. —Rick Morse

When He has found you, tell others the story; That my loving Saviour is your Saviour too. —S. O’Malley Clough

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever…To him who made the great lights…the moon and stars to rule over the night. Psalm 136:1, 7, 9

In a comic strip, a boy stares into the starry night sky and proclaims, “I’m significant! Screamed the dust speck.” The irony brings a smile, but for the child of God it stirs our hearts. Certainly when contrasted with the vastness of the universe, we seem insignificant; yet God knows us, and loves us! In fact, the Creator of the universe knows our thoughts before we think them, our words before we speak them, and our actions before we do them. Even greater, He calls us friends and has laid down His life for us. —Jaby Jacob

What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!—Joseph Scriven

Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity. Ecclesiastes 9:9

If you are married, do you enjoy being together? Your spouse ought to be your companion and best friend. When a husband or wife is too busy to fulfill their responsibilities of marriage and family life, they are busier than God intended! Have you told your beloved lately that you love them? It is so vital to spend quality time together, to communicate, to listen to each other and to share in one another’s interests. —Pete Smith

Whate’er in life shall be their share, of quickening joy or burdening care, In power to do and grace to bear, may they in Thee be one. —William Vaughan Jenkins

Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. John 5:24

George Kirk was a believer who valued, “Real Life Insurance.” He prayed, “You have given me true insurance that is payable when I leave this life by death. I may purchase insurance on my physical life, but only You could purchase, and totally pay for, insurance that has an eternal guarantee. May I, as a steward, be a good insurance salesman of the greatest offer ever made to all mankind. It costs the beneficiary absolutely nothing and gives absolutely everything.” Do you have that insurance? —Anon.

We’ve a story to tell to the nations that shall turn their hearts tothe right, A story of truth and sweetness, a story of peace and light.—Colin Stern

He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God. Romans 4:20

Humanly speaking it was impossible for Abraham to have a son by his wife Sarah. The circumstances seemed to make the whole idea ridiculous. He was old and his wife was elderly too. Throughout their lives they had been continually barren. Yet Abraham focused his attention not on his situation but upon God and His promise. He believed God and God fulfilled His promise. Today when conditions seem to be so pointedly against the Gospel we must look up and see God and remember He has promised to bless His Word and answer the prayers of His people. —Paul Young

My faith looks up to Thee, Thou Lamb of Calvary, Saviour divine! Now hear me while I pray, O let me from this day, be wholly thine—R. P.

The cherubims spread out their wings on high, and covered with their wings over the mercy seat, with their face towards one another. Exodus 37:9

The cherubim never took their gaze off the blood sprinkled mercy seat. “There I will meet with thee” (Ex. 25:22), was God’s promise to Israel. As those redeemed by Christ, we now focus our gaze at Calvary and see His blood shed there for us. We also see Him in our midst as we gather (Matt. 18:20). May God help us to never turn our gaze from the cross nor from the Lamb who shed His blood and is in our midst. Oh what wonders grace has wrought! —Vernon Markle

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him? Psalm 8:3-4

If it cost a penny to travel a thousand miles, a cruise to the moon would be only $2.38. But if you wanted to go to the sun, the one-way ticket would cost $930. And a trip to the nearest star would be, hold onto your hat—$260 million. Yet a place in the very heart of the One who made this vast universe is free, based on the priceless sacrifice of Christ. Have you reserved your place? —William MacDonald

Wonder of wonders! Vast surprise! Can bigger wonder be?That He who built the starry skies Once bled and died for me.—Author Unknown

And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments. 1 Corinthians 12:28

The word “governments” refers to those who govern in the local church. W. E. Vine gives “steering or pilotage” as root meanings. These men are the spiritual shipmasters or helmsmen. This describes what spiritual leaders do. They do not chart a new course but keep the ship on course, in the channel, away from dangers. God sets the course—not us. That course is laid out in the “navigational chart” of His Word. We are to steer and stay in it. —Carl Knott

I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou, shouldst lead me on; I loved to choose and see my path; but now lead Thou me on! —John H. Newman

The wages of sin is death… Romans 6:23, KJVThey found in him no guilt worthy of death. Acts 13:28Christ died for our sins. 1 Corinthians 15:3, KJV

It has been pointed out by G. Campbell Morgan that when the Lord Jesus, the sinless Substitute, died on the cross, there was no cause in Him to die. Therefore He created in the universe an infinite credit value He did not need for Himself, upon which every sinner may draw. All the value of that death becomes available to any who will by faith appropriate it, and, receiving Christ and His finished work, such a sinner will pass from spiritual death unto life eternal. Have you ever received Him? —J. B. Nicholson

Thine is the joy, but yet ’tis mine. ‘Tis ours as one with Thee;My joy flows from that grief of Thine; Thy death brings life to me.—Author Unknown